Family and Personal Papers

The collection contains diplomas, articles, obituaries, lecture tickets, and licenses relating to the Messenger family and early medical history of the Miami Valley. The Messengers (Asa, Harold Sr., and Harold Jr.) practiced medicine in the Dayton-Xenia area since the 19th century. The collection also includes information relating to John Hole, M.D., said to be the first physician to come to the Dayton area in the late 1700s.

Papers consist of mainly correspondence from Katharine Wright (1874-1929) to her future husband, Henry J. Haskell. Letters cover a variety of personal matters including the opposition to her impending marriage by her brother, Orville Wright. Other subjects discussed include Oberlin College, the Kansas City Star, the Wright patent challenge, and Katharine's ideas about women's rights. These letters were microfilmed from originals loaned to the Western Historical Manuscript Collection, Kansas City, Missouri.

Consists of a group of family histories collected by Irene Frye of Cincinnati. Included are histories of the Kallam, Houser, Spuenhauer, Vest, Petre, Baub, Flynt, Helsbeck, and McAnally Families of North Carolina and Ohio.

A selection of resource materials from the Collection of the LDS Family History Center of Cincinnati. Included are family pedigree charts, scattered cemetery records from Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, Biographical Annals of Ohio, Mrs. Devercaux's Blue Book, The Yearbook of the Son's of the American Revolution, a small collection of Warren County marriage records, Dearborn County, Indiana, wills, and many other items. A finding aid is included at the front of each reel.

Contains Captain James Riley's log of the brig, James Madison, 1832-1835, as well as family letters, legal documents, petitions, clippings, biographical sketches, and photographs. Riley was a ship's captain, Ohio pioneer, and founder of Celina, Ohio. His family subsequently became prominent in Mercer County.

George Catrow (1814-1897) taught in the rural schools of Butler, Montgomery, and Preble counties in the late-19th century. Collection consists of ten volumes of diaries, a Catrow Family history, personal papers, and newspaper clippings. The diaries record many events and names in the Germantown, Franklin, and Middletown, Ohio areas.

A microfilm edition of MS-1 without the published journals and printed materials, this collection consists of family letters and papers, financial records, school mementos, Wright Family genealogical materials, the church papers and diaries of the Wrights' father (Bishop Milton Wright), notebooks, correspondence, awards, and citations. The collection also includes nearly 4,000 photographs, many taken by the Wrights to document their early flying experiments. In addition there are extensive photographs of the Wright Family and of the Wrights' flying exhibitions in Europe and the United States.

Consists of a diary kept by Montgomery County farmer, Isaac Staley. The diary, which spans fifty years, is a detailed account of the day-to-day life of this Ohio farmer who also worked on the Miamisburg-West Carrollton Toll Road.

A supplement to the main body of Orville and Wilbur Wright's papers located in the Library of Congress, this collection consists of family letters and papers, financial records, school mementos, genealogical material, the church papers and diaries of the Wrights' father (Bishop Milton Wright), notebooks, citations, awards, and the Wright's technical library which includes journals books, and pamphlets covering many aspects of early aeronautics. The collection also includes nearly 4,000 photographs, many of which are original prints taken by the Wrights to document their early flying experiments. In addition, there are extensive photographs of the Wright family and of the Wrights' flying exhibitions in Europe and the United States. The photographs and papers are available in a microfilm edition.

Benjamin Cryder was the grandfather of Frederick White, one of Wright State University's early founders. His papers include survey maps of Ross County, Civil War bounty reenlistment records, correspondence, and essays on a variety of political and humorous subjects.

Ladley was a minister of the Christian Church and one of the founders of Antioch College in Yellow Springs. His papers consist of correspondence with his wife, Catherine, and members of their extended families, a collection of Ladley's sermons, financial papers, diaries, and correspondence concerning church affairs.

Papers consist of early 19th century daybooks, journals, and financial ledgers from stores Wolpers owned in Bellefontaine and Germantown. Also included are letters written to Wolpers by his brother in Germany.

Born and raised in Yellow Springs, Carr had a long, distinguished career working in Europe for the Red Cross and the Near East Foundation as a nurse and public health administrator. Her papers include extensive correspondence, journal articles, reports, working papers, clippings, genealogical materials, and photographs.

Jerusha Peacock was a student at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio in the early 1860s, and later taught at Antioch's Preparatory School from 1865-1873. Her papers consist of letters written primarily to her mother and sisters, essays, a collection of her poetry, and a sketchbook. Peacock's letters colorfully describe her life at Antioch, her travels, acquaintances, and activities.

A life-long resident of Yellow Springs, Carr attended Antioch College, then worked in his father's nursery business which he eventually took over in the 1920s. The bulk of his papers date from 1888 to 1906 and consist of correspondence from various family members and women friends.

Edelman was a long-time, active member of the Socialist Party in Dayton, and for a period, served as business manager for the local Socialist newspaper, The Miami Valley Socialist. His papers include correspondence, clippings, political literature, Socialist campaign materials, working papers, a minute book of the Young Socialist League in Dayton (1915), scattered copies of The Miami Valley Socialist, and a collection of state and national Socialist Party literature. See also MS-94.

The Inland Children’s Chorus was sponsored by the Inland Manufacturing Division of the General Motors Corporation from 1936-1970 and open to children (ages 8-16) of Inland employees. The Chorus was a unique contribution by American industry to young people, the community, and the performing arts. The collection includes programs from their concerts, photographs, books, newspaper and periodical clippings, certificates, and memorabilia all donated by former members of the Chorus.

A nationally known leader in the temperance movement as well as a strong advocate of women's rights and suffrage, Martha McClellan Brown lectured widely in the United States and Great Britain and held important posts in the Independent Order of Good Templars and the National Prohibition Party. She was also one of the founders of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and edited a weekly temperance newspaper. Her papers include copies of her published talks and articles, handwritten drafts of lectures, personal correspondence, temperance and suffrage publications, photographs, memorabilia, and a small collection of materials reflecting her interest in Spiritualism. Also included are papers belonging to Brown's husband, Rev. William K. Brown, a Methodist minister with a strong interest in women's rights and the temperance movement. His papers include sermons, published articles, correspondence, church papers, and two books he authored.

A collection of portraits, snapshots, tintypes, ambrotypes, carte de visites, stereographs, and glass negatives from an extended family in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Subjects include family groups, the Carr Nursery, Antioch College, and a set of autographed portraits and faculty at Ohio Wesleyan College in the 1870s.

Consists primarily of the personal and business correspondence of George Harris and his wife, Katherine Carr Harris, his brother, Robert Harris, and his son, Ladley Harris. Both Katherine and George were born and raised in Yellow Springs, Ohio and attended Antioch College in the 1890s. They married in 1904 and moved to Georgia where Harris established a successful law practice and they raised a family. The bulk of correspondence in this collection is with family members and friends in Yellow Springs, Ohio, New York and elsewhere and reflects the interests, concerns, and activities of a white, middle-class family during the first half of the twentieth century.

Louise Odiorne was a landscape architect and planner working out of Yellow Springs, Ohio. The papers in this collection reflect her wide-ranging interests in community planning, environmental architecture, regenerative land use and conservation. Included are personal and professional papers, grants, papers pertaining to several land use projects in and around Yellow Springs, and materials concerned with Odiorne's most important work, the Life- Clime Project, an idea for establishing an indoor symbiotic relationship between plants and people.

A native of Sharonville, Ohio, Patricia O'Brien was a successful singer and actress in New York City during the early part of this century. She returned to Dayton in 1917 and became manager of the Dayton Symphony Association. She also worked as a promoter of local theatrical events. Her papers include correspondence, photographs, diaries, and miscellaneous items.

A collection of 19th and early 20th century papers consisting mainly of the family correspondence of the Wheeler and Betts families as they moved around the Midwest. The correspondence is concerned with the health of family members, courtship, farm and crop information, and church matters. National events are mentioned occasionally.

Collection consists primarily of genealogical papers gathered by John Waymire of Montgomery County, Ohio. Included are family and surname data for related families, correspondence, personal papers, and photographs.

A collection of 19th and early 20th century family papers of the Coombs and Learned extended families who lived in Michigan, California, and Ohio. Papers include extensive family correspondence, diaries, business and financial records, and over 300 photographs. Noteworthy among the contents are several letters written by President James A. Garfield to a family member when he was a young man, as well as Palmer Coombs’ World War I diaries and papers.

Clair Wilbur Welty (1890-1918) enlisted in the United States Army Signal Corps during World War I and served as a pilot-trainer. He died November 10, 1918, as a result of a mid-air collision at Issoudun, France. The collection includes academic records, military records and orders concerning Welty’s brief service as an Army officer, letters of condolence addressed to his mother Mary Welty following his death, and a few photographs.

McCaslin was a well-known Dayton journalist who was the art critic and book reviewer for both the Dayton Daily News and the Dayton Journal Herald. His papers consist primarily of letters written by McCaslin to an old friend in Zanesville where he grew up. Subjects covered include McCaslin's World War II experiences, his opinions about contemporary politics and political leaders, as well as his day to day activities. Also included in the collection is a selection of clippings of McCaslin's published writings.

A collection of papers from an early 19th century southwestern Ohio family containing letters, autograph books, and some related documents. The bulk of the letters were written to Rev. Mighill Dustin, a Methodist Episcopal minister, and his wife, Mary (Dana) Dustin, by various friends and family members. The letters discuss family affairs, religious life, politics, and business matters. Related documents include wills and excerpts copied from 19th century county histories.

Ivonette Wright Miller was a niece of Wilbur and Orville Wright, the daughter of the Wright Brothers older brother, Lorin Wright. The collection consists of materials about Orville and Wilbur Wright, the Wright Family, and early aviation collected by Ivonette. The collection includes correspondence, newspaper clippings, journal articles, photographs, photograph albums, and memorabilia. Many of the photographs are original prints of pioneer aviators, Wright Family members, and friends. Other papers pertain to the role of Mrs. Miller and her husband, Harold Miller, in representing the Wright Family at various official functions.

The Josephine Schwarz Papers consist of a collection of the personal correspondence, photographs, writings, and memorabilia of Josephine and, to a lesser extent, the personal papers of her sister Hermene Schwarz. The collection encompasses a wide range of topics, including the Schwarz School of Dance, the Dayton Ballet, correspondence concerning dance and ballet-related issues, personal correspondence with family, friends, and students, her journals, diaries, and scrapbooks, ballet and family photographs, and memorabilia.

A collection of correspondence, family histories, photographs, business records, and scrapbooks from two local pioneer families who played an important part in the early development of the Miami Valley: the Pattersons of Dayton and the Johnstons of Piqua. The business records cover the period 1785-1879 and relate to the operation of the Patterson Family farm and lumber mill. Some of Col. Robert Patterson's land surveys and quartermaster records are also included. The correspondence consists of letters between family members and friends, the bulk of which falls within the years 1820-1900. These letters are a good representation of 19th century life and discuss business, family affairs, daily activities, and politics. Of particular interest are the letters to Julia Johnston Patterson from her sons in the Union Army during the Civil War. The scrapbooks are an eclectic collection of newspaper clippings, programs, and memorabilia concerning John H. Patterson, the National Cash Register Company, and local and family history.

Papers consist primarily of materials documenting Savage's military career in the Signal Corps during World War II and include his letters home, a scrapbook, photographs, a narrative of his experiences, and his basic training book. Also included are materials from his father who served in World War I, as well as a small collection of Civil War letters and papers from Savage's ancestors who fought in Ohio regiments.

Materials include personal correspondence, as well as papers and letters related to Class' position as a Warren County (Ohio) Agricultural Agent, Federal Inspector of Seed and Crop Loans, and Federal Land Appraiser. Also included are news clippings from the Miami Valley Farmer, farmhouse plans, maps, and photographs.

The Pedrick Family Papers were compiled over four generations beginning with William E. Pedrick (W.E.P.), who was a prominent entrepreneur in the mining industry and also a lieutenant during the Civil War. His children also participated in the mining industry and land speculation, but soon took interest in other professions such as artwork and design, as well as, electrical engineering. The collection includes blueprints, correspondence, deeds, accounting ledgers, photographs, maps, journals, diaries, and scrapbooks.

A Dayton native, Barrett was a toolmaker, technical writer, teacher, and political activist involved in labor organizing in the Miami Valley area. He also founded and directed the Labor Studies Department at Sinclair College. His papers include materials pertaining to his labor organizing efforts, his newspaper editorials, music he composed as well as his drawings and poetry.

Graduates of Wilberforce University, Rev. Wesley Matthews and his wife, Ruth "Pat" Matthews, were active in civil rights, church work, and community organizing in the Dayton, Yellow Springs, and Urbana, Ohio areas. After Rev. Matthews died in 1978, Pat Matthews remarried Wendell Howard, a Springfield pharmacist. Papers in this collection include business and personal correspondence from both families, records from a depression-era WPA education program in Clark County, family photographs, a scrapbook and correspondence from Tuskegee Institute, a Tuskegee Airmen yearbook, and materials pertaining to the Matthews' various civic involvements.

Sebastian, a dancer and nationally known choreographer, was the Artistic Director of the Dayton Ballet Company during the 1980s. His papers include correspondence, both personal and professional from colleagues in the dance world, Dayton Ballet administrative materials and performance records, photographs, clippings, materials pertaining to his dance teaching activities, and personal items including diplomas and school papers.

Groff was the president and general manager of the James Leffel Company in Springfield, Ohio. Papers in this collection reflect his civic and volunteer involvements and include minutes, reports, publications, and correspondence from such organizations as the Springfield Community Chest, the Rotary Club, the Springfield and Clark County War Chest, the War Manpower Board, and the United Appeals Fund.

This small collection is made up of various financial papers, legal documents, land deeds, mortgages, correspondence, and plat maps. The Gebharts arrived in the Miami Valley area from Pennsylvania in the early 19th century and were active in local business, political and religious activities.

Allaman was active locally in the field of children's social services. He held several posts in the Ohio-Kentucky area including Superintendent of the Montgomery County Juvenile Court, Director of the Louisville Children's Home, and Superintendent of Shawn Acres, the Montgomery County Children's Home. His papers consist of correspondence, case notes, published and unpublished papers, programs, conference materials, photographs, reports, and awards.

Papers consist of letters written to Cushman by his fiancé, Stella Klein, who worked at McCook Field from 1919-1921. Letters contain mostly personal and family information, but also discuss events and people at McCook Field during the period.

Osborne held a variety of engineering positions at McCook Field in Dayton from 1918 until 1924. His papers include diaries covering the years 1922-1923, photographs taken while he was working at McCook, and a few miscellaneous papers about his career up until 1927. The diaries record his daily activities at the field and at home, and the 79 photographs include images of aircraft, dirigibles and individuals.

The local history collection of Leonard Hill includes a variety of 19th century events and topics related to Piqua area history. Included are an early 19th century farmer's diary by John B. Miller, a Miami and Erie Canal log book by foreman James R. Spencer, and an 1862 Union soldier’s diary recounting two months following the battle at Richmond, Kentucky in which he had been captured, paroled and returned to Union custody, north of Columbus, Ohio. In addition, various clippings and magazine articles pertaining to local history and genealogy are included.

Louise Achey Kennedy was a prominent member in Dayton society during the late 19th and early 20th century. She was a charter member of the Jonathan Dayton Chapter of the DAR, and a genealogical researcher. The collection consists of personal correspondence, travel souvenirs, religious pamphlets, photographs, and miscellaneous ephemera from the late 1880s to the early 1900s.

The Schenck family was one of the most prominent families in the Dayton area. General William C. Schenck, a pioneer of the Miami Valley, helped lay out Licking County in 1801. William's son, Robert C. Schenck, was a State Representative in Ohio from 1843-1850, U.S. Minister to Brazil from 1851-1854, Brigadier General of Volunteers during the Civil War (1862), elected to the 3rd Congressional District in 1862, served as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee from 1867-1871, and was appointed U.S. Minister to Great Britain from 1871-1876. The main focus of this collection is on Joseph Graham Crane Schenck, Jr. ("Sonny"). This collection contains correspondence, photographs, and scrapbooks.

Dayton native, Margaret Shardelow Young, was a member of the Friday Afternoon Club, one of the city’s oldest women’s literary clubs. She was also a local school teacher and long-time member of the First Baptist Church of Dayton. The collection includes her Friday Afternoon Club writings, schoolbooks, teaching notes, photographs, and greeting cards with her original poetry.

James Chew was a prominent businessman and civic leader in Greene County. His papers consist primarily of business records from three Miami Valley newspapers, the Xenia Gazette, the Piqua Daily Call, and the Middletown Journal, which he owned and published. Records include balance sheets, bank statements, payroll reports, investment reports, profit and loss statements, circulation averages, and statistics. Also included are some papers pertaining to Chew's Xenia residence.

Carl Ultes, Jr. was an attorney, businessman and civic leader in Springfield, Ohio who eventually took over the O.S. Kelley Company from his father-in-law, O.W. Kelly. The collection consists of business papers, correspondence, news clippings, pamphlets, legal case files as well as materials relating to Ultes's memberships in various civic organizations, and his interest in stamp collecting.

Gladys Tressia Turner was born on September 16, 1935 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Education from AM&N College in Pine Bluff in 1957 and a Master of Social Work from the Atlanta University School of Social Work in Atlanta, Georgia in 1959. Included in the collection are autobiographical articles, brochures, correspondence, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings and reports that document Gladys Finney’s long, distinguished career in social work in the Dayton, Ohio area. There are also materials that concern her private life, her involvement with her church and her personal interests, as well as material relating to the career of her late husband, Frederick Marshall Finney, who was an economist, social scientist and nationally known writer in the field of numismatics.

Stage and silent screen actress during the 1920s, White was born in New Lebanon, Ohio April 27, 1882. During her middle and later years, she was involved in charitable and civic causes in Dayton, Ohio. The Dorothy K. White Papers are a collection of personal papers, photographs, and newspaper articles on music, screen and stage, and society. These papers reflect Dorothy’s active involvement in civic and community life and convey evidence of largely twentieth century social history, with sidelights on women’s fashion of the time.

The Edmund Trissell Collection chronicles the life of Dayton photographer Edmund William Trissell through negatives, photographs, newspaper clippings, and correspondence from Mr. Trissell’s daily life and photographic assignments.

Richard Seifried was born in Piqua, Ohio in 1927. He is a Korean War veteran who served from 1951-1952. Mr. Seifried received military training at Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky and is an alumni of the Ohio State University. He lives in Eureka Springs, Arkansas where he continues to write both novels and memoirs. This collection contains correspondence, personal memoirs, numerous photographs, and ephemera. Note: restrictions may apply.

The Edwin James Armstrong papers contain the personal and business papers of not only Edwin, but of his second wife Jessie Wheeler Armstrong, and her sister Mabel Wheeler. These papers have been organized into five series which include: 1) Ephemera, 2) Edwin James Armstrong papers, 3) Mabel Wheeler papers, 4) Jessie Wheeler Armstrong papers, and 5) Miscellaneous papers.

The Willard D. Chamberlin Papers are a varied and interesting collection of photographs and clippings concerning the life of Chamberlin in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The material in this collection gives insight into the material culture, concerns, travels, and ideas of a leading Dayton, Ohio entrepreneur and businessman. The collection is divided into two series: Travel Photographs and Newspaper clippings.

The Kettering Family Papers contain materials documenting the life of Charles F. Kettering, as well as his son Eugene, daughter-in-law Virginia, and their children. The Kettering family was heavily involved in the industrial make-up of the city of Dayton during the 20th century. Beginning in the early 1900s when Charles F. Kettering began his career at NCR, through today, the Ketterings have been influential in shaping the industrial, cultural, and financial landscape of Dayton. Because of its financial success, the family also became known for its many important philanthropic and charitable deeds which continue today through its various foundations.

The Woodhull-Patterson Family Papers consist primarily of genealogical information and photographs pertaining to the Woodhull and Patterson families. There are also materials related to the history of Dayton and the surrounding area.

The Beard Arthur Family Papers consist of collections concerning particular relatives of the two families. The family papers provide information for anyone researching residents of Mad River, Ohio from the late 19th century through the 20th century. The Beard Arthur connection refers to the marriage of John J. Arthur to Kathryn Beard.

The Erasmus Jones and Lavina Hatfield Kitchen Collection contains materials relating to the family history of the Abraham Kitchen and James Hatfield families, their homesteads, and their descendants in Green Township, Clark County, Ohio, spanning the period from the 1830s up to 1972. Also included in the collection are materials from members of both families whom moved outside Ohio during the 19th and 20th centuries.

William Focke and his wife founded their family meat business, William Focke Son's Company, in 1875. The collection contains two folders documenting the Focke family. The collection also documents the family meat packing business through advertisements, patents and agreements, correspondence, price lists, and a scrapbook.

The Mildred Baker Papers is a collection including photographs, registration cards, newspaper clippings, West Carrolton Reading Club records, postcards, and scrapbook. It was created by Mildred Baker who lived in the Dayton area in the late 19th and early 20th century.

The Woodland Cemetery Collection contains materials relating to the organization and business ventures of the Woodland Cemetery Association. Materials such as organization histories, rules and regulations, meeting minutes, financial records, and correspondence provide a history of the organization while documents such as interment and cremation records provide insight into the function that the cemetery plays in Dayton, Ohio. In addition to these written documents, there are numerous visual documents such as photographs, negatives, and slides that illustrate Woodland Cemetery.

The Luthman Funeral Home Records include business records plus ten binders of copies of their original burial records. The business records span 1889-1910 and the burial records span 1906-1982. This collection offers researchers a wealth of information on genealogy and local mortuary practices.

The Gladys Chaney Wessels Papers are comprised of documents, photographs, scrapbooks, correspondence, and audiovisual materials, all relating to the life and work of Gladys Chaney Wessels, a prominent educator and social activist in the Dayton, Ohio area. The papers include items from her personal life as well as the numerous institutions and women’s rights groups of which she has been a part.

The Matthew C. Kirkpatrick collection consists of photographs, correspondence, arrest logs, identification cards, books, and a scrapbook. It was created by Matthew C. Kirkpatrick who was a Dayton policeman and Chief of Police during the mid-20th century.

This collection highlights the work and family of Dayton poet, Paul Shivell. An accomplished poet published in the late 19th- and early 20th centuries, Shivell was recognized for his pastoral poems which were published in several books and collections. Included in the collection are several original portraits by noted Dayton photographer Jane Reece, who was a close family friend of the Shivells and who took portraits of them throughout several decades. Other documents note the Shivells’ activities in Dayton society and the arts. Of special interest is the 1916 letter to Shivell from Robert Frost, complimenting him on his recent publication, and a print of one of Jane Reece’s photographs of Matilda Dunbar, mother of Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Major General Henry T. Allen was an officer in the U.S. Army from 1882 to 1923. He fought in the Spanish-American War and World War I. His daughter married Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews (See MS-440). General Allen was famous for his 1885 exploration of 15,000 miles of Alaskan wilderness in the Copper, Tanana, and Koyukuk River valleys. The collection is small, consisting of photographs of him and his children, along with a 1985 reprint of his 1885 Alaskan expedition report, and a book about his life.

The Siebenthaler Nursery played an important part in the development of the nursery business in the United States. As such, it would prove valuable to any student of the nursery and landscape business, students interested in business history, or many aspects of local history. The business, founded in 1870, is still in operation today under the same family. The major strengths of the collection are its financial, employment, and operating records.

Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews played a major role in building the U.S. Army Air Corps of the 1930s into the powerful U.S. Army Air Forces of World War II. At the time of his death in May 1943, he was the commander of all U.S. forces in the European Theater of Operations. The largest portion of the Andrews Collection consists of family correspondence sent between members of the Andrews family, including letters from General Andrews, his wife, Jeannette, and his parents, siblings, children, and relatives and friends. The collection also contains a variety of photographs of General Andrews and family members, along with newspaper clippings and memorabilia.

The William Hobart Papers document the evolution of a company from its beginnings as a small family-owned business based out of Troy, Ohio, into a substantial national foodservice and food retail industry. The collection covers important landmarks such as acquisitions, documents the Hobart brothers family life, the Hobart Institute of Technology, and Troy community development directly related to the Hobart’s contributions. The collection includes personal Hobart family papers, company related papers, correspondence, photographs, blueprints, sketches, pamphlets, financial records, employee records, and certificates.

The collection consists of the personal papers and photographs of Zoe Dell Lantis Nutter, a resident of Xenia, Ohio. Zoe Dell is recognized for her influence in aviation and in her local community as a pilot and the first woman president of the National Aviation Hall of Fame, as well as for her contributions to several civic organizations. In 1939 she was named “Most Photographed and Publicized Girl in the World,” which was mostly attributed to her role as Theme Girl in the 1938 San Francisco Golden Gate International Exposition and Treasure Island.

Ermal C. Fraze was the owner of Dayton Reliable Tool Company and the inventor of the early versions of Pull-Tabs and Pop-Tops. This collection includes newspaper clippings, magazine articles, scrapbooks, correspondences, photographs and personal items. Most of the collection pertains to the Dayton Reliable Tool Company. Some items also relate to the Fraze Pavillion, a 4300-seat outdoor amphitheater in Kettering, Ohio, named after Ermal C. Fraze.

The Charles and Grace Bost Papers consist of World War II-era correspondence. There are 67 letters between Charles and Grace of Springfield, Ohio. Charles entered the service in July 1942 and was stationed in Tennessee while Grace remained in Springfield, Ohio.

The collection consists of the personal papers and photographs of Max M. Scarff, a resident of New Carlisle, Ohio. Max M. Scaff is recognized for his innovative improvement of hybrid corn and grains. While working at the family business, Scarff Nursery, he received many awards and honors through the years, and was elected president of The American Seed Trade Association in 1952. In 1973, Scarff was also elected to the Ohio Agriculture Hall of Fame.

Harvey Dressler was a civil engineer in the Dayton area owning the firm of Cellarius and Dressler Engineering. The Harvey Dressler Collection consists of correspondence, photographs, maps, books, and other documents related to Harvey Dressler, his wife Florence Bremberger Dressler, and daughter Mary Dressler Stansell.

The Florence Brown Diaries consist of eight diaries kept by a young middle-class Dayton woman in the 1920s and 1930s. These journals detail the daily goings-on in her life from mundane musings on the weather, to more serious topics like the death of her mother.

Homer and Elsie Hardy lived in Dayton, Ohio, but travelled the world in the 1920s and 1930s, possibly as part of Homer’s job as a manager in the foreign department of the Delco-Light Company. The Homer and Elsie Hardy Collection contains 8 scrapbooks and numerous other postcards and photographs documenting their family life and travels.

Marie Sturwold was born on January 8, 1897 in Cincinnati, OH. She started gardening as a child, but her passion for gardening fully took form when she married John Aull in 1922. They lived in a property north of Dayton that would one day become Aullwood Garden MetroPark and Aullwood Audubon Center. Marie is known for her work in gardening, education, and conservation, but this collection also contains her extensive travel record and personal hobbies. Material in this collection includes travel brochures, travel itineraries, travel journals, plant lists, garden analyses, historical documents, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, correspondence, photos, calendars, club material, and awards.

This collection consists of five photo albums documenting the Weaver/Eicher families, during the early part of the twentieth century, including family vacations, recreation, and other aspects of their daily lives in the Miami Valley Region of Ohio and more specifically the town of West Carrollton.

This is a collection of 73 agricultural, medicinal, and family almanacs. Over half the collection consists of The Hagerstown Town and Country Almanac (24 issues) and Agricultural Almanac (16 issues), among others. Of local note are Kimmel & Rice's Almanac (Dayton, 1894) and A. L. Scovill & Co.'s Farmers and Mechanics Almanac (Cincinnati, 1868).

Marianna McKnight Nixon was a lifelong Daytonian and descendant of several prominent families of the Dayton area, including the McKnights, Dovers, and Van Cleves. The collection is primarily comprised of photographs of Marianna’s life and family, as well as correspondence, genealogical information, and printed materials such as newspaper clippings, brochures, and periodicals.

The collection consists primarily of materials pertaining to Beason’s service during World War II in the Western Pacific, including several photographs, a scrapbook of newspaper clippings, and rosters of personnel who also served in the 37th Division Artillery from the group’s reunions. Copies of sketches by Edward J. Dollriehs of the Western Pacific are also included.

The Fred F. Marshall Papers reflect Marshall's career as an engineer, aviation journalist, photographer, environmentalist, and local historian. Marshall was attached to the Signal Corps in World War I; he then returned to Dayton to work at McCook Field where he was editor of the aviation journal, Slipstream. Retiring in 1955 after working for several engineering and aircraft firms, Marshall devoted his time to writing articles dealing with the history of the Yellow Springs, Clifton, and Cedarville areas of Greene County. The collection includes drafts and finalized copies of original stories, newspaper clippings, correspondence, certificates, awards, scrapbooks, as well as a large number of photographs both personal and related to military life in World War I. Marshall authored a number of local histories including a chronology of the Wright Brothers. A few items in the collection relate to Fred Marshall’s wife, Faith Marshall.

This collection is comprised of papers, photographs, and awards concerning Frederick Coe Smith’s work at the Huffman Manufacturing Company as President and Chairman of the Board from 1951 until his retirement in 1976, as well as his work in leadership positions of local civic organizations until 2007. These other organizations include The Dayton Foundation, Sinclair Community College, Miami Valley Hospital, and the United Way. At The Dayton Foundation Frederick C. Smith worked on several of their programs including The Dayton Self-Sufficiency, Out-of-School Youth, and the creation of the Montgomery County Job Center. The papers also include his work for Governor Voinovich’s welfare reform, the merger of Society Bank and Key Bank, and his work for Pitney Bowes. The collection also includes personal materials including a partial memoir, as well as resumes and awards from Frederick C. Smith and Ruth P. Smith.

The collection covers William C. Wallace, a Merchant Marine and newspaper editor from Coshocton, OH; as well as his wife, Jean E. (Laird) Wallace, and daughter Mary L. (Wallace) Baker. It consists of correspondence, photographs, and the genealogy of the Wallace family in Coshocton, Ohio. They are relatives of the Wallace family of Medway, OH (MS-92 in the Special Collections and Archives).

The Wright Family to Petree Family Correspondence primarily contains letters written by Milton Wright to his niece Estella Harris Petree. The letters describe Wright family news and activities, but more importantly include specific references to Wilbur and Orville Wright’s bicycle business, flying experiments and success, Orville Wright’s accident at Ft. Myer in September 1908, the 1913 Dayton flood, and Milton’s flight with Orville in May 1910. There is also a very poignant letter written by Reuchlin Wright describing the death of his father, Milton, in 1917. Additional items include correspondence from Orville Wright and two photographs that appear to be clipped from publications.

Skardon was a prominent Dayton businessman with an interest in civic and cultural affairs. His papers relate to his service in three organizations: the Metropolitan Church, the Dayton-Montgomery County Bicentennial Committee, and the Dayton Council on World Affairs. Included are minutes, correspondence, newsletters, and printed materials.

Ledgers give a daily account of funerals and contain information and vital statistics about people buried by the Riesinger Funeral Home in Dayton. Also included are a few unidentified photographs, some scattered financial records, and correspondence

A nationally recognized leader of soil, water, and land conservation movements, Studebaker served as president of the National Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. He was also a Miami County educator and farmer. His papers consist of printed materials, speeches, and correspondence dealing with conservation efforts both locally and nationally. Also included are some local soil surveys, farm credit information, and minutes of committees appointed to deal with specific conservation problems.

Neukom worked as a photographer for both the DELCO Corporation in Dayton and the Miami Conservancy District during the early part of the 20th century. His papers include family correspondence, clippings, personal memorabilia, pamphlets, and photographs relating to the 1913 Dayton flood.

The Wallace Family Papers chronicle the history of more than five generations of a farming family in Clark County, Ohio, during the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. The collection provides an almost continuous history of the Wallace family through letters, diaries, journals, financial records, photographs, newspaper clippings, books, and extensive genealogical information.

Vaszin was a Dayton designer and manufacturer of amusement rides and equipment. His papers include clippings concerning his business, certificates of merit for trade involvements, and a small collection of photographs.

Reports and correspondence showing the history of ownership of Wright State University land during the 1800s, a listing of families buried in Rockafield Cemetery, and correspondence from the Rockafield's during their service in the Civil War.

Collection contains photocopies of a ballad and letters relating to the American Civil War, written by Jacob Bier to his wife, Nancy. Bier was from Auglaize County, Ohio, and served in the 180th Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Division of the 23rd Army Corps.

Photograph album of an unknown Dayton family, depicting family life and a parade in Dayton. The location appears to be where Sinclair Community College is now located, as some photographs have Sacred Heart in the background.

Diary kept by Sergeant H. Crawford, band member in the 362nd Infantry, begins in Houston in 1918 and follows his journey to New York and eventually France. Includes information on caring for the wounded and dead and the aftermath of the Battle of Verdun.

This is a letter to Fred White, Business Manager for the Miami-OSU Dayton Campus (forerunner of Wright State University), from Phil Donahue, thanking him for his appearance on Donahue's show on WHIO, dated March 24, 1964.

This collection contains photographs and copies of photographs of Brookville and Dayton, Ohio, most dating around 1914, though some are as late as 1960. Many of the photographs are labeled and identified, and the primary subjects are Elden Hemp and Henry Busch.

This collection contains 31 images of the aftermath of the Xenia tornado in April 1974. William Pitstick was the telephone manager who was called in to start the repairs after the 1974 tornado. He shot several rolls of film documenting the damage at street level across Xenia. These photographs offer an in-depth look at the city in the immediate aftermath of the tornado, and the vast majority of the photographs are very thoroughly labeled.

This collection consists of a single pamphlet titled “The Diary of the House in the Woods,” which was published by the Lowe Brothers Company in Dayton, Ohio. The pamphlet is a combination of two people’s diaries. Katherine McDowell and her husband Ned allowed their diaries to be published to explain the development of their house that they built and in which they lived in the woods. The diary entries begin in May of 1918 and continue through October of the same year. The couple also included some general advice on designing, finishing, and furnishing a home at the end of the pamphlet, and it also includes information about Lowe Brothers’ products.

This collection contains 36 postcards, two of which are addressed and dated April and June, 1913. The two addressed cards are interesting in that the writer briefly discusses some routine events, e.g. a friend’s visit, very soon after the flood. Anna Hiles was the flood survivor who collected these cards. The collection was donated by her grandson, Jeffrey.

High Acres was the Dayton home built for the President of the Rike-Kumler Department Store, Frederick Rike, and his wife Ethel in 1929. It was designed by Cleveland architects Meade and Hamilton and the grounds were designed by Dayton landscape architect Samuel D. Zehrung. This collection consists of one oversize plan of the grounds. The plan is signed by Zehrung. It is located in oversize storage.

Four accounts written by four members of the Abel Family from Dayton, Ohio over three generations, and transcribed by Rita Mastbaum Hughes. Includes: Personal Recollections by Joseph F. Abel, circa 1900; Silver Anniversary Trip of Joseph J. Abel and M. Josephine Abel, June 19, 1925 to July 30, 1925; D. Herbert Abel, Ph.D. Autobiography, 1968; and Remembrances by Rosemarie Rita Abel Gabel, 1975. Collectively the collection documents social life and customs in Dayton, Ohio's history from the mid 1800s-mid 1900s. Among the topics discussed are presidential campaigns, Dayton during the Civil War including the burning of the Dayton Journal building, attending school in Dayton, the 1913 flood, celebrations at the end of World War I, and the influenza epidemic of 1917-1918.

This diary, edited by Martha A. Gavin and Sarah H. Conrad, is a transcription of the original. Sarah Louise Reed Brown was the daughter-in-law of Martha McClellan Brown. See MS-147, the Martha McClellan Brown Papers.

The collection consists of a single album, containing primarily photographs, as well as news clippings, documents, and mementoes, concerning Dayton pharmacist and physician Dr. Carl Henry Breidenbach (1867-1926) and his family. In addition to family photographs and a few medical scenes, other notable topics of the photographs include the Dayton flood of 1913, bicyclists, and the President Rutherford B. Hayes home in Fremont.

This collection consists of about 20 legal documents such as deeds, mortgages, and other property-related records pertaining primarily to the Swank, Martin, and related families in Darke and Montgomery Counties.

Collection includes letters written to and from an Army officer, mostly to his family in Vevay, Indiana, which cover his experiences in the early 19th century frontier army as well as his duty in the Mexican War, where he was killed during the Battle of Molino del Ray.

Consists of letters written by Craig to various members of his family. Craig traveled to Oregon and Panama, as well as spending time in Springfield, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. His letters cover his experiences, local and national politics, and family matters.